The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-02
CAPTAIN NATHAN HALE.
Story Of One of the Revolutionary
Heroes.

General Washington wanted a man.
1t was in September, 1776, at the city
of New York, few days after the bat
tie of Long Island. The swift and
deep East River flowed between the
two hostile armies, and General Wash
ington had as yet no system established
for getting information of the enemy's S
movements and intentions. He never
needed such information so much as at
that crisis.
What would General Howe do nextP
If he crossed at He'll Gate, the Ameri-
can army, too small in numbers, and
defeated the week before, might be
caught on Manhattan Island as in a
trap, and the issue of the contest might
be made to depend upon a single bat
tie; for in such circumstances defeat
would involve the capture of the whole
army. And yet General Washington
was compelled to confess:
1--WE can not learn, nor have we been able to
procure the least information of late"
Therefore he wanted a man. He
wanted an intelligent man, cool
headed, skillful, brave, to cross the
East River to Long Island, enter the
enemy's camp, and get information as
to his strength and intentions. He
went to Colonel KnowltOn, command
ing a remarkable efficient regiment
from Connecticut, and requested him
to ascertain if this, man so sorely
needed could be found in his com
mand. Colonel Knowlton called his
officers together, stated the wishes of
General Washington, and, without urg-
ing the enterprise upon any individual,
left the matter to their reflections.
Captain Nathan Hale, brilliant
youth of twenty-Onc, recently grad
uated from Yale College, was one of
those who reflected upon the subject
He soon reached a conclusion. He was
of the very flower of the young men of
New England, and one of the best of
the young soldiers Of the patriot army
He had been educated for the ministry,
and his motive for adopting for time
the profession of arms was purely
patriotic. This we bnOgU from the
familiar records of his life at the time
when the call to arms was first heard.
In addition to his other gifts and
graces, he was handsome, vigorous
and athletic, all in an extraordinary
degree. If he had lived in our day he
might have pulled the stroke oar at
New London, or pitched for the college
nine.
The officers were conversing in a
group. No one had as yet spoken the
decisive word Colonel Knowlton ap-
pealed to a French sergeant, an old
soldier of former wars, and asked him
to volunteer.
''No, no." said he. II am ready to
fight the British at any place and time,
but do not feel willing to go among
them to be hung up like a dog"
Captain Hale joined the group of
officers. He said to Colonel Knowlton:
Il will undertake it.
Some ofhis best friends demonstrated.
One of them, afterwards the famous
General William Hull, then a captain
in Washington's army, has recorded
Hale's reply to his own attempt to dis
suade him.
II think, >" said Hale, 81 owe to my
country the accomplishment of an OBJ
iect so important. L am fully sensible
of the consequences of discovery and
capture in such a situation. But for
year have been attached to the army,
and have not rendered any material
service, while receiving a compensation
for which / make no return. wish to
be useful, and every kind of service
necessary for the public good becomes
honorable by being necessary"
He spoke, as General Hull remem-
bered, with earnestness and decision,
as one who had considered the matter
well, and had made up his mind.
Having received his instructions, he
travelled fifty miles along the Sound as
far as Norwalk in Connecticut One
who saw him there made a very wise
remark upon him, to the effect that he
was "too good looking" to 90 as spy.
He could not deceive. "SOme scrubby
fellow ought to have gone" At Nor
walk he assumed the disguise of a
Dutch schOOlmaster, putting on a suit
of plain brown clothes, and n round,
broad-brimmed hat. He had no diff
Guilty in crossing the Sound, since he
bore an order from General Washing
ton which placed at his disposal all the
vessels belonging to Congress. For
several days every thing appears to
have gone we'll with him, and there is
reason to believe that he passed
through the entire British army with
out detection or even exciting sus-
pIcion-
Finding the British had crossed to
New York, he followed them. He made
his way back to Long Island, and near
ly reached the point opposite Norwalk,
where he had originally landed. Rem
dered perhaps too bold by success, he
went into well-Iinown and popular
tavern, entered into conversation with
the guests, and made himself very
agreeable. A mar present suspecting
or knowing that he was not the char
acter he assumed, Quietly left the room,
communicated his suspicious to the
captain Of a British ship anchored near,
who dispatched a boats crew to cap
ture and bring on board the agreeable